There’s one from another perspective that, to be fair, deserves sharing:

“It’s really sad that these girls represent the group of people who support him. Because I support him and I don’t condone what he did. But also don’t see the point in busting his balls about it for 3 years straight when he DID apologize to her and the world (and he didn’t owe the world a DAMN THING), he did do his community service, he did take backlash from the whole entire world…I’m not saying condone it, but let him live for God’s sake. The man is nothing but positive. A positive 22 year old kid with a future ahead of him. Rihanna is over it. She forgave him. She likes his music. She wished him the best. So why the hell are so many of you still upset when the actual victim is over it? No one is proud of what he did, his SANE fans are just happy he’s making music again. Jesus. I get so tired of this bullshit. It’s been three years. Fuck all the good you do in the world, you mess up once and that’s all everyone remembers you for. No one is perfect, but shit…you’d swear every mofo in here was by the comments.”

"Yeah, sorry, but I share the alternative perspective that you posted: its 3 years old, and rehashing it just promotes some kind of self-created theory that no one can improve, let go, forgive, change, progress, move on, develop. " – good thinking, but the reason it matters so much is that domestic violence is EVER PREVALENT in our society, the world.. and for our culture/media to sweep his very serious, very real actions under the rug.. and tout him as like, some really great and positive guy… um, no. not a realistic portrayal of the reality millions of women suffer with men that beat the shit out of them. not progressive and positive for the ones really dealing with it. if chris brown could have stepped up and apologized to the world for what he had done, and donated to violence support groups, then maybe i'd reconsider my opinion of him.

I think the link that horrified me the most was the women who tweeted that "Chris Brown could beat them anytime." Not only are we failing to raise gentle men, we are failing to raise women with self-respect and boundaries. Or maybe I shouldn't say "we" because I am working hard to raise one of each!

3 years is not enough time to celebrate someone. Regardless fo what we know and don't know, we are not glorifying domestic violence if we talk about what Chris Brown. It's just the opposite, in fact. By being silent, we are allowing the silence surrounding this devastating type of violence to continue. Until every person who is affexted by any type of violence in their home has the support and resources to get all the help they need, then we're not talking enough.

How do I know this? I was in an abusive relatationship. I finally wrote publically about it this week, but I haven't been promoting the article for fear of retribution by the family of my abuser. I wanty to get to that place, though. I want to feel that I have more supporters than people to fear.

Kate, I completely agree with you. I too was in an abusive relationship. I kept silent about it for many years fearing that no one would believe me (he is now a writer for Elephant, ahem). I too recently wrote about it, and gave my experience a voice, and it was liberating. It was also terrifying. There was some support and some retribution, but I felt in the end that the experience itself needed freedom…space to breath, and so I gave it that. I also had to look at why I allowed myself to be subject to such abuse….that was the hardest thing to accept. I support you. But don't let him keep hurting you with fear. The first step is recognition…the forgiveness will come.

Thanks for posting this….the only way it changes is with awareness and dialogue…keep talking!!!

I'm not a fan, so not really up on the whole situation, and I love your forgiveness and have no interest in arguing.

That said, my limited understanding is he has never shown anything approaching remorse or genuine apology and has in fact demonstrated rather the opposite–throwing a chair at a window and tearing his shirt off and storming off from an interview that asked about it…and there's the aspect of even if it is time to forgive and let him live life, the music industry really hasn't ever shown it cares about anything but sales. Read that first link, and reply then…I think you'll dig the perspective and context that article offers.

Retraction!!!! Sorry, before you even posted this I'd come back to change that, I confused him with Usher, who *did* publicly apologize and asked forgiveness. My mistake. No, I definitely do NOT agree with the music industry allowing this idiot to waltz back in and act supreme. It sucks. Rihanna's forgiveness is one thing, but he needs to step up…

Two pertinent comments via Redditors re whether we should forgive and forget, yet:

How has he apologized? He went the celebrity route and claimed he found Jesus and is all better. He threw a chair out the window and tore off his shirt when an interviewer brought up him beating Rihanna. He didn't serve his time, he served celebrity time. I wouldn't trust Michael Vick with my dog, I wouldn't trust the Catholic Church with my son, and I wouldn't trust Chris Brown with my girl.

[–]MikeTea 148 points 9 hours ago

Not every bad decision someone makes in life can be classified as a simple "mistake". I've made a lot of mistakes in life. Beating the holy hell out of a woman is not one of those.

Love those comments. I read through a lot of the reddit ones, but those are two of the best. I have a hard time writing of domestic abuse as a "mistake" because there are so many other mistakes that have to happen along the way to get to that point. Nobody starts off beating his girlfriend or wife so badly she needs treatment.